Search location by ZIP code

NEWS ARCHIVE

Man who taped dog's mouth shut is sentenced

William Dodson has been sentenced to five years, to be served concurrently with 15-year sentence

Share

Shares

Copy Link

{copyShortcut} to copy
Link copied!

Updated: 1:36 PM EDT Mar 24, 2017

WYFFSOURCE: WYFF

Man who taped dog's mouth shut is sentenced

William Dodson has been sentenced to five years, to be served concurrently with 15-year sentence

Share

Shares

Copy Link

{copyShortcut} to copy
Link copied!

Updated: 1:36 PM EDT Mar 24, 2017

NORTH CHARLESTON, S.C. (WCSC) —

A North Charleston man who admitted severely injuring a dog when he taped her mouth shut has been sentenced.

William Dodson was arrested in June 2015 after the dog, Caitlyn, appeared on the doorstep of a North Charleston home with electrical tape wrapped around her muzzle.

Advertisement

A medical report from Veterinary Emergency Care described the dog's muzzle as "markedly swollen with evidence of tape," and the tongue as "significantly swollen, significantly bruised, discolored (dark purple) and oozing blood," court documents said.

Charleston Animal Society spokesman Aldwin Roman told the court he would never forget the sound Caitlyn made when the tape that bound her muzzle was removed.

Charleston Animal Society

"It was 36 hours of torment," Roman said.

Her story gained worldwide attention on social media, with veterinarians estimating that it would cost thousands of dollars to treat her.

The Staffie mix underwent surgery, recovered and is now in a new home and has become an ambassador for the humane treatment of animals.

Dodson said he wrapped the tape around the dog's muzzle because she wouldn't stop barking. He was charged with felony ill treatment of an animal and was indicted in February 2016.

Dodson was sentenced to five years in prison for what he did to Caitlyn, to be served concurrently with a 15-year sentence he received Thursday on a federal drug and weapon conviction because of a plea agreement, according to court documents.

Harve Jacobs, with WIS, reported that Dodson, who has 31 prior convictions, did not apologize in court.

Judge Markley Dennis told Dodson he wished the sentence could be longer.